Ji Zhaoxi signed up for the National English Speech Contest. Before finalizing her draft, she gave it to her teacher to review.
Looking at the draft, the teacher hesitated and said, "There are no grammatical issues with this piece, and the logic is very sound, but... it's a bit too stiff."
Ji Zhaoxi didn't quite understand. The teacher put down the paper and explained, "Zhaoxi, you can add some humor to your speech to close the distance between you and the audience. Even though the topic is serious, you can deliver it in a warmer, more engaging way."
Stepping up to the podium, the teacher continued, "Also, don't just stare in one direction. You need to learn how to scan the room and make targeted eye contact. The judges will be sitting right in front of you. After finishing a paragraph, you can meet their eyes for a second or two."
Many teachers at Shanghai International Studies University had studied abroad and were highly experienced in these kinds of competitions. Ji Zhaoxi often went to them with questions.
Following the methods her teacher taught her, Ji Zhaoxi did a mock presentation in her dorm room. As she delivered the final sentence, she looked at her roommates nervously.
After watching her performance, Qi Zhenzhen clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Who would have ever thought your English would become this good?"
Su Manzhen also smiled. "Zhaoxi, you really have the demeanor of those senior girls when they compete."
Ji Zhaoxi blushed. "Really? Actually, I never thought about winning a prize. I'm just happy to give it a try."
Gao Lin came in after hanging her laundry to dry and patted her shoulder. "Don't say that. You should aim for the prize. Once you've given it your all, it won't matter whether you win or not."
She felt that Ji Zhaoxi's current skills were already strong enough, but she just lacked confidence.
She always said things like she was just "giving it a try" or didn't think she could win.
Lin Fang was sitting behind her bed curtains reading a book. Hearing the commotion outside, she couldn't focus on reading at all.
That was a national speech contest. She didn't think Ji Zhaoxi could win. It hadn't even started yet, and she was already acting like she wanted the whole world to know she had signed up.
Whenever she had free time, Ji Zhaoxi still went to the park to practice. The students around her changed batch after batch, but every time there would be a few familiar faces standing in their usual spots practicing.
From her initial awkwardness to her current fluency and ease, this park had borne witness to far too many of her tears.
The students at the school gates all looked high-spirited, holding books in their hands with smiles full on their faces.
Sitting in the car, Wang Jie suddenly felt a bit envious.
In the past, he thought there was nothing good about studying, but now that he was older, he realized the benefits of an education.
Miss Ji was truly amazing. Their county was quite poor, yet she had managed to test into a university from that kind of environment.
Spotting a familiar figure from a distance, Wang Jie quickly called out in greeting, "Miss Ji."
Ji Zhaoxi smiled at him. "Have you been waiting long?"
Wang Jie hurriedly shook his head. "No, not at all."
Wang Jie had been secretly observing Ji Zhaoxi. After leaving that night, Master Qin had looked absolutely wretched.
His eyes were red, his voice was hoarse, there were tear stains on his face, and his clothes were all wrinkled. It was obvious he had suffered quite a shock.
To be able to reduce Qin Du to such a state, Wang Jie couldn't help but feel nervous himself.
"What is Qin Du doing right now?" Ji Zhaoxi suddenly asked.
Wang Jie's entire body stiffened. Here it comes, this question has finally arrived.
He cleared his throat. "The boss is doing some maritime logistics business, helping people transport goods and things like that."
Ji Zhaoxi smiled and nodded. "I see. I heard from others before that he was in the mafia."
Wang Jie was so frightened he choked, panicking to the extreme. "How could that be! Our Master Qin... no, our boss is the most law-abiding citizen. Who dares to smear our boss's reputation!"
Which blind fool had been talking nonsense in front of Miss Ji? He definitely had to tell Master Qin later!
"It's fine, you don't need to be nervous. I was just asking."
Wang Jie gave a dry laugh and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Next time, it would be better if he didn't come to pick her up. He wasn't very smart, and she would definitely trick information out of him eventually.
Qin Du lived in a Western-style house in the former French Concession. In front of it was a large, dense grove of plane trees. As soon as you opened the door, you could see a wooden spiral staircase. Inside, it was exceptionally quiet.
Wang Jie stood carefully at the door. "Miss Ji, this is the boss's room. Would you like to look around first or rest for a bit?"
"I'll rest for a bit first."
"Okay, Miss Ji."
Qin Du's room was very empty, with hardly any decorative items. The room was much larger than the one back in Xinniu Village, but the overall feel hadn't changed much.
At the bottom of the mahogany cabinet was a safe, which likely contained firearms or similar items.
The items she had sent him previously were displayed on the bookshelf, and the tape recorder on the desk still held the cassette she had recorded for him. The room's overall color scheme was dark, making this little corner look somewhat out of place.
The private room was shrouded in smoke. The waiters nearby kept their heads bowed, and the expressions on the other people's faces were rather unsightly.
In the business world, putting on a fake smile to please others was perfectly normal.
But being trampled underfoot by someone you once looked down upon—that feeling was worse than eating shit.
Qin Du was half-sunk into the sofa. One hand rested on the armrest, while the other held a lit cigarette. As he listened to the other party speak, a hint of a mocking smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Boss Zhang, sitting opposite him, poured wine for Qin Du and apologized with an obsequious smile. "Master Qin, last time we failed to recognize someone of your stature and accidentally angered you."
"As soon as I found out, I immediately dragged that person out. How would you like to punish him?"
A man tied up tightly was thrown to the ground. He was gagged, and the look he gave Qin Du was full of terror, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
Just then, a man in black walked over to Qin Du's side and whispered something in his ear.
The expression on Qin Du's face instantly softened.
Boss Zhang keenly noticed the shift in Qin Du's mood and immediately started flattering him. "It seems Master Qin has some good news."
Qin Du stood up and looked at him. "Boss Zhang, let's call it a day here."
Boss Zhang's eyes lit up, and he nodded hastily. "Thank you, Master Qin, thank you, Master Qin. Please, go attend to your business. Good things are waiting for you."
He didn't know what it was about, but he figured flattering him like this couldn't be wrong.
After Qin Du left, the atmosphere in the private room instantly relaxed.
"What just happened?" Boss Zhang asked the person next to him curiously.
The man frowned. "It sounded like they said someone arrived."
Boss Zhang was puzzled. "Who arrived? Who has that much face? Don't tell me he bribed someone else."
Boss Zhang's face suddenly turned ugly. Could Qin Du really have bribed the government officials? What would he do then? Would he have to go to Qin Du every time he wanted to transport goods?
He was like the King of Hell. Every time he had to come see him, he couldn't sleep the night before.
Looking at the tied-up man on the ground, Boss Zhang kicked him again in anger.
"Trash!"
